


An Unlikely Romance

by Dannygirl05



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Spoilers, BAMF Wanda Maximoff, Canon Compliant, Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, F/M, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), vision and Wanda platonic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-05-25 16:23:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14980961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dannygirl05/pseuds/Dannygirl05
Summary: Hating Tony Stark was as easy as breathing. He was the cause of her parents' death and she planned to be the cause of his destruction. She didn't anticipate that her actions would lead to the creation of a crazy murder-bot which in turn will lead to the obliteration of her country. She didn't anticipate getting a second chance at life: joining the avengers and using her powers for good. She didn't anticipate forming a fragile truce with Tony Stark that would turn into a friendship. She didn't anticipate falling in love with a man she so vehemently hated all her life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just laying down some facts here:  
> 1)This is my first time writing a story and English is not my first language, so I apologise for any grammatical or spelling mistakes.  
> 2) After watching age of Ultron, I was disappointed that MCU didn't show more interaction between these two characters even in future films. I didn't see them in a romantic light but after reading some work with this pairing, I wanted to write about them in a romantic context.  
> 3) There will be NO CHARACTER BASHING. All these characters are far from perfect but they are not evil (Expect for Ultron, that evil son of a bitch). I will not be portraying these characters in a bad light. So if you are one of the anti-tony's or anti-steve's, then this work may end up disappointing you.  
> 4) I will be writing some chapters that will describe events in the movies from Wanda's and Tony's perspective and some other chapters that will contain events that are creation of my imagination, however the story will follow a linear time line which would be mostly canon compliant  
> 5) My focusing on this pairing does not mean that I don't like canon pairings like pepper/Tony or Wanda/vision. I'm writing this story as a way to satisfy my own curiosity about the dynamic between these two characters.

Hating Tony Stark was as easy as breathing. It didn’t come in waves, it was constant. It was like a shrill sound of a phone ring that you couldn’t ignore. Like phantom pain in a limb that wasn’t there and yet I could feel it every second of every day. A hate so deep that it shrouded my judgement, made me forget myself. The life that I had before didn’t matter anymore. My goals, my dreams, my whole life seemed insignificant. The only thing that mattered was destroying the person who had taken it all away from me and I was ready to do whatever it took to make that happen.

I was at war with a man who was not only powerful but smarter than most. He was known as the merchant of death. A man who had made his fortune by making weapons that were used to wage war on the poor and weak. A man who was selfish and arrogant, born with a silver spoon in his mouth. However, his greatest strength was not his money but his mind. Tony Stark was powerful because he could create weapons and armours that no other man could.

Tony Stark was a man of science. So, how do you defeat a man of science? By performing a miracle. There is nothing more horrifying than a miracle.


	2. Sokovia Hydra-Base

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The opening scene of Sokovian Hydra Base from Wanda's Perspective.

The sounds of explosions and screaming men declared the arrival of the Avengers. Every agent was on edge. Files were being deleted, evacuation protocols were in place. Strucker knew that his men couldn’t stand against the onslaught of super soldiers and gods. He was preparing himself for defeat. I couldn’t find it in myself to feel bad for this man who had tortured us relentlessly for days ,yet saw us as his own children. But Pietro and me weren’t his to control or command. We have been waiting for our chance to finally meet Stark. To make him feel a part of that pain and anguish that we felt everyday. While Strucker was busy giving his men instructions, me and Pietro slipped out the back. Looking outside the facility we spotted the Avengers working in perfect coordination, clearly outweighing the Hydra army. I looked at Pietro, a wide smirk on his face. I feltcorners of my own lips lift in a curve.

We were about to balance the scales.

 

*************

Dealing with Steve Rogers was easy. Like everyone else, I too had heard the great heroic tales of the American soldier. Tales of strength, sacrifice and fight for freedom. Yet, I knew, that behind the mask of honourable men lay deceit, greed and ego whose burden fell on the common people. I wasn’t interested in fighting the soldier, I had a bigger fish to fry. Yet, I couldn’t resist myself. I wanted to see this man who everyone claimed was a legend.

Steve Rogers wasn’t like the other soldiers. It wasn’t just his physical strength that set him apart from other men, it was the way he moved. He carried himself with a sense of authority, a natural born leader, certain of his every step and action. Seeing him talk to Strucker, I couldn’t see a trace of wariness or fear in him. He was a man completely put together and it mad me wonder what it would be like to see him come apart.

“I’ll put it right under Illegal human experimentation.” He said with disapproval evident in his tone. How could he so easily dismiss this, when he got his own strength from a German scientist. A man who had voluntarily given his body to science now stood here with nothing but contempt for us. Cleary, even super soldiers were not strong enough to resist being hypocritical.

He wanted to know about the others. I decided to sate his curiosity. I was surprised that despite his super human senses, he didn’t see me coming. Seeing him stumble down the stairs and look up at me with fear in his eyes was more satisfying than I could have predicted. Now he knew that he wasn’t alone, he knew an enhanced was out there stronger than he could control. However, I didn’t waste more time fighting him.

I had Tony Stark to deal with.

 

***************

Tony Stark maybe many things but he was no fool. He easily uncovered the way to Hydra’s secret lair where they kept all their inventions including the scepter. Slipping after him was easy as the man was completely focused on his goal.

Tony Stark was no soldier. Unlike Steve Rogers, he moved with caution. Inside his armour he seemed invincible, taking on stronger men without any hesitation. Outside of his armour, though, he seemed uncertain, wary and vulnerable. Like a civilian who wasn’t trained for missions. Still, he moved forward, a man set on a mission. It didn’t bother me as I had my own mission. The one that I had been preparing for years now.

“Yeah, I’ve got something bigger” he said to himself, probably communicating with someone on the comms. He looked around the room, seeing all the horrific inventions Hydra had been working on. I didn’t expect him to be scared of this. Tony Stark was not a man who could be intimidated by such creations, considering he was capable of inventing something equally horrific if not more.

Soon enough, he spotted the scepter and started to walk towards it. “Thor, I’ve got eyes on the prize”, he said. He was so engrossed by it, that he didn’t sense my presence behind him. I knew that I could kill him now, tear him apart piece by piece. However, it would be too quick and not painful enough. Death would be a mercy and I was in no mood to be merciful. I wanted to hurt him physically and mentally. I wanted him to feel the same fear that me and Pietro felt when we were trapped in the ruins of our home.

With my mind set, I moved forward.

 

***************

What I made him see was not something I anticipated. I was capable of getting inside people’s minds, read their intimate thoughts and emotions, manipulate them, make them live their worst fears that were buried so deep that they themselves weren’t aware of them. That is what I had wanted to do to Tony Stark. Bring life to his worst fear, make him feel the loss of something he held dear.

I don’t know what I had expected his worst fear to be. What does a man who was as powerful as him could fear in life? I simply lacked imagination to be able to envision his fear. 

Global destruction. Everyone including his team lying on the floor, lifeless. Foreign aliens drifting through a hole in space towards earth and no one to stop them. He didn’t just feel the loss of his comrades but the hopelessness in not being able to stop the inevitable. Looking at his future through a peephole and not being able to do anything to prevent the destruction. Looking in the eyes of his dying captain and knowing that he had failed.

Seeing his fear left me in a haze. Just a few moments ago I had every little detail planned out. All the ways I would torture him that would have him begging for mercy. However, seeing his vision was like hitting a roadblock. Like waking a path that led to your destination and suddenly realising the roads have changed direction.

I knew his fear now. I could feel it in my bones, the feeling of helplessness and despair that ran through his veins. Not only did I see his fear but I knew how strong it really was. It wasn’t a fleeting sense of dread that would pass or a slight uneasiness that could easily be overlooked. This was a fear that made men tremble at night, made them sleep with one eye open, made them walk constantly looking over their shoulder anticipating a monster they knew they couldn’t defeat. This was a fear that mad men desperate.

That made them destroy themselves.

The vision was gone now. Stark’s mind was back at the base. He looked around the lair and shook his head as to clear his mind. However, I knew that the damage was done. The vision had been deeply rooted in his heart, something that he won’t be able to get rid of quiet so easily.

I sensed Pietro’s presence behind me, could feel him tense up, ready to pounce on his prey. I raised my hand to stop him. “ We’re just gonna let him take it?”, he asked. He was clearly restless to end this.

I looked back at Stark, who was walking towards the scepter with determined steps. His eyes were heavy with despair and he was looking at the scepter as if it held all the answers. I hadn’t planned on Stark leaving this facility alive. I wanted to end what he had started by destroying our home. However, seeing his wretched form storm out with the scepter, I knew that certain events have been set in motion and killing Tony Stark would not be as satisfactory as seeing him stumble towards his own doom.

A smile graced my lips. I have completed my mission.


	3. Before the battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda and Tony exchange a few words before the battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is set at the Stark Tower where everyone is getting ready for the final showdown in Sokovia.

Watching Tony Stark leave the base with a haunted look on his face had left me sated. I knew that his deep rooted fear would drive him to madness. Tony Stark, in his desperation, was bound to make a mistake that would do irreversible damage. What I hadn’t expected was the creation of Ultron, an artificial intelligence that saw global destruction as an answer to the world’s problems.

When I first met this machine, he told me that he wanted to save the world and destroy the Avengers. And like the fool I am, I believed him. Maybe because he was the first being I had met who hated Stark with a vengeance that could match my own. Me and Pietro went along with his plan, not fully comprehending his goal. It wasn’t until I read his clone’s consciousness did I realise what I had unleashed on this world. 

I knew that me and Pietro weren’t strong enough to stop him. The only people who could help weren’t exactly our biggest fans either. But this was bigger than me or Pietro. I understood Ultron’s intentions and knew that he had to be stopped at any cost or innocent people would pay the price.

***************

Just days ago, me and my brother were standing in a Hydra facility waiting for a chance to strike at our enemies. Today, we are at Stark Tower, gearing up for a battle against a machine who wanted to kill millions.

All I wanted was to make one man suffer, to make Stark pay for what he did to my family, my home. I didn’t realise that the war I was waging against one man could lead to so many casualties.

I was watching Thor talk to this foreign being who was brought to life just moments ago. I was trying to read his mind, trying to look for a trace of threat that I had found in the cradle. I was so engrossed in my task that I didn’t sense him coming up behind me.

“Just a heads up, that bright red jacket belongs to one Natasha Romanoff. She might raise hell when she sees someone else wearing it.”

His voice was soft with a hint of teasing in it. I didn’t turn around because I knew I might lash out, seeing his smug face. “Well, considering she has been kidnapped by a mass murdering robot, I think her jacket would be the last thing on her mind”, I replied. I moved forward in order to keep my distance from him.

“I wouldn’t count on it, Red. No one can multitask like Natasha Romanoff. She could be strangling bad guys while planning a party with Clint on comms”, he replied. He wanted to make it sound like a casual quip and yet I could sense a hint of concern in his voice.

One more thing to feel guilty about. While the cradle had been safely intercepted by the archer, his companion had been taken by Ultron. Clearly, she is a valuable member of the Avengers and now her disappearance has given this team another reason to hate me. Not that I blame them, considering my actions have laid the groundwork for a world ending event.

“I didn’t want this”,the words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. I didn’t want to lament to this man who had been the cause of my insanity. Standing here next to him reminded me of my own foolishness, my blind thirst for revenge and what it had led to.

I heard a quiet sigh, and then his softly spoken words,”I know. But you can’t think about that right now. There is a job that needs to be done Wanda, and we need all hands on deck.”

“And you think we would be enough for him?” I found myself asking him.

“We have to be. Because the alternative is global destruction and that is simply not an option”, he said with a new found resolve.

It astonished me how he could sound so self assured even in such circumstances. Or maybe I was wrong and he was just a very good actor, skilled at concealing his true emotions.

“And you think this creation of yours would be on our side?”, I asked eyeing the foreign being. Even though he has shown no hint of hostility towards us, I still couldn’t stop feeling fear at his every step. Stark’s first creation has already done enough damage. How could he know for certain that his second creation won’t follow it’s predecessor.

“This creation of mine has the building blocks of JARVIS, my loyal and empathetic AI. He won’t be anything like Ultron” he said confidently, but there was something else in his voice. A deep sorrow, that of losing a friend.

I looked around the facility, seeing everyone with tensed but determined faces, preparing for a battle they knew could not be won without blood. They all knew what they were heading towards and yet I could not see a hint of uncertainty in their actions. I knew that they would do whatever it took to defeat Ultron, even if it came at a personal cost.

Finally, I turned around to look at Stark. I expected to see anger, hostility, hate or frustration directed at me and yet the only thing I found was a silent unshakable resolve in his eyes. He knew what I had done to him, of this I had no doubt. And yet here he was ready to go into battle with me, asking me to have his back.

In this moment, I couldn’t feel a fraction of the hate that I have always felt for this man.

“I wish I could go back in time” I said with a sigh leaving my lips. “I could’ve stopped you……could’ve just killed you on that base” I said, trying to inject some hostility in my words but failing spectacularly.

Stark didn’t rise to the bait. With a sad smile on his lips, he replied “Considering our present circumstances Ms.Maximoff, I think I would have preferred the same.”

I knew he was telling the truth.


	4. After the Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda in the helicarrier after being rescued.

I always wondered what dying would feel like. I knew what happened to a person physiologically. The body’s system shuts down, heart stops pumping blood, air stops filling in the lungs. But I always wondered how it felt. Being alive one second and dead the next. I have seen people die before. Some of them went quietly as if they were falling into a long slumber. Some of them fought with all their might, screaming and thrashing, before the light in their eyes dimmed. I could never decide if death felt painful or peaceful. But today I finally found the answer to this question. When I felt Pietro being ripped away from me.

Death felt like a void. Like a bullet piercing through you, pulling your heart out of your chest. At least that what it felt like to me.

***************

The helicarrier was buzzing with restless energy. Even though the calamity had passed, the adrenaline in everyone’s bodies kept them on their feet. Several agents were busy with controlling the helicarrier while others were trying to reassure the survivors. I had to give them credit for trying because what could you say to a family who lost their home, what could you say to the people who lost their loved ones?

And yet despite everything, they were trying. The survivors were trying to come to terms with their loss. The agents were busy helping people, giving them medical aid and food supplies. I had already heard someone speaking on the phone about providing settlement to the families. After everything, they were still trying to move forward, seeing a goal, an end game, the light at the end of the tunnel.

I wish I could see it too.

After the nuke killed my parents, I had found the strength to move forward. Me and Pietro had no one. No one to turn to for help or comfort. We didn’t even have the luxury to mourn our loss. However, we had each other. I had found it in myself to move ahead even if that resolve came from hating Stark and a need to get even.

Now, there was nothing. My brother was dead. The only person I had in this world was gone. I couldn’t even bring myself to see his body.

When the city had started to fall, a part of me was relieved. I had never believed in God or afterlife and yet in that moment I had hoped to be reunited with my family. I knew there would be no place for me in heaven and I would have gladly accepted my banishment to hell. I would have gladly walked into death’s arms if it meant not getting up to see another day, to not wake in a world without my brother, my Pietro.

But then I had found myself in Vision’s arms and the next moment I was being flown away from the wreckage and in the safety of this flying machine. I saw that dream get farther away from me until I found myself being held firmly in the cruel clutches of life, knowing that I wasn’t done being punished. I couldn’t even bring myself to hate Vision for saving my life, because I knew he saw it as a kindness, an act of mercy.

This was no mercy.

Death would have been mercy.

After being rescued, I was brought to a room which looked like a medical wing. A nurse with kind eyes had tended to my injuries, her hands soft on my skin. I believe she was trying to not cause me more pain. I tried to tell her, that she could be as rough as she wanted to be, that pain would act as an antidote, yet no words would come out of my mouth. After giving me some water and putting some food in my mouth that I swallowed without being able to feel it’s taste, the nurse left me to attend to some other patients. The people in the room kept looking at me with concern evident on their faces. However, they all kept their distance. I wondered if what they saw scared them but then I couldn’t bring myself to care.

There was one, however, who had not bothered keeping his distance. He came into the room looking tired and dishevelled. Lines of his face prominent under the grim and dust, Stark looked ready to pass out. And yet when he saw me and started walking, his legs didn’t shake. Even though every part of me felt numb, seeing his composure made me feel envious. Envious of him still having the strength to move.

It seemed like the sole purpose of his existence was to get a rise out of me.

“Vision told me what happened.”

Just a simple statement.

 

Not a “are you okay?”

Not a “I’m so sorry”

Not a “I’m glad you’re alive”

 

Just a statement.

I didn’t know what Vision had told him. Did he tell him about Pietro getting rained down with bullets? Did he tell him about me falling with the city? Did he tell him about rescuing a breathing corpse from the carnage?

I looked at Stark and I knew Vision had told him everything.

“Wanda”, he said my name like one would say a prayer to the Gods.

I knew he wouldn’t ask me if I was okay. I knew he wouldn’t apologise for my loss or offer any other meaningless platitudes. Tony Stark may be good with words and may know how to use them for his benefit. However, today he won’t say anything because he knew as well as I did that there was nothing to be said.

A few hours had passed since the explosion, and till now I had felt safe in my numbness. But now, looking at him, I felt that wall being teared down by everything that I was trying so hard to bury.

From a distance, I could hear a few faint voices calling out to Stark, asking him to get his injuries treated. I knew he heard them too and yet he kept looking at me, a mixture of concern and relief  evident on his face. I don’t know what he was looking for, what answers he wanted from me and if I was even capable of giving them to him.

He looked like he was about to say something else but before he could, a lady in a SHIELD uniform appeared next to him. “Boss, President is on the line for you.”

Those words snapped him out of his reverie and his eyes finally left mine. He looked down for a moment, a quiet sigh escaping his lips, “Transfer the call to the conference room”. He walked away with the agent, sparing me another glance before exiting the wing.

I finally released a long held breath, feeling relief at being left alone. All I wanted was to numb myself to the world until I was strong enough to move again.

I don’t think I will ever be strong enough for that.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro's Funeral

Death is hardest on the living. A life that ceases to exist is no longer burdened with any earthly concerns. The people who pass away don’t have to feel pain or worry about what they left behind. It is the ones who survive that endure the pain of loss, who worry about their future, who have to figure out how to pick themselves up because the world will not stop long enough for them to grieve.

It is what makes me envious of Pietro.

I wish I had perished with him. I wish I could be buried next to him instead of standing over his grave, saying my goodbyes. I wish I wasn’t left behind to witness the destruction that was left in my wake.

I had never believed in the afterlife, and yet today, standing over my brother’s grave, I couldn’t help but feel like I have been banished to the gates of hell.

***************

The world never stops spinning. No matter how big a catastrophe is, it is never too big to make the earth stop turning on it’s axis. It’s never enough to make the time slow down or stop altogether. Wheels keep turning, people keep living, time keeps moving forward and some people find themselves left behind.

That is what I feel like. After losing my parents, I was strong enough to pick myself up and keep moving with the world. Maybe because I had Pietro or maybe because I had a purpose, a goal that I needed to work towards. However, now I have nothing. No family to turn back to, no hate strong enough to keep me going. I feel as if everything is moving forward in a blur and all I can do is just stand there, see the world move ahead, not being able to do a thing about it.

Today, my brother was given a burial, miles away from his homeland. Considering, the damage our actions had led to, maybe this committal is what we deserved. Yet, despite being on foreign land, it was no less dignified. After giving ourselves to experiments, I had made peace with the fact that we may never receive a noble end. We had accepted that we might be buried in an unmarked grave. And yet here he was, being laid to rest by heroes.

I had not expected such kindness from them. They weren’t our family nor our friends. They were just a group of people we had vehemently hated for most of our life, mainly because of their association with one man, I realise now. We had temporarily formed a truce in the face of possible world annihilation which in no way made them obligated to do something like this. And yet here they were, paying their respects to a man, who just a few days prior had tried to hurt them.

Steve Rogers and his partner, the spy were standing at one side, whispering something to each other. Even outside the field, the friendly camaraderie between the two was obvious. The spy could take orders from the captain without hesitation and could still mock him like a decade old friend. The big God also made an appearance, standing to the other side, constantly fidgeting in his suit, yet seeming very composed. Everything about Thor reminded me of the tranquility of a child: the curiosity about the world around him, the eagerness to learn, the motivation to fight yet not holding on to enmity. His optimism and resilience were admirable.

Standing right next to me was the archer, Clint Barton. The man my brother had died protecting. He stood quietly next to me, glancing at me from time to time. He didn’t look at me like others did, like I might explode at any moment. I could glimpse genuine concern in his eyes, something that I had never received from anyone but my family. He was the first to approach me after Sokovia, offering a place to stay at the tower. I didn’t know why he even bothered to care about someone like me who had tried to harm his team and almost succeeded, but I couldn’t find it in myself to question his intentions. Few days ago, I would have been suspicious of his actions but now, I don’t really have anything left to lose.

There was one other person their, standing with the group yet keeping a safe distance. It was as if he wanted to be closer but their was an invisible dome that was not granting him access. He was the last person I had expected to show up here. Rather, he was the last person I wanted to _see_ here and yet I didn’t have the energy to hate him for showing up.

After a while, as if with a silent understanding, people started to walk out. Clint gave me a one-arm squeeze and without a word started to walk away with the others. I knew they weren’t going  too far, probably just wanted to give me some space. I knew I should’ve thanked them but I couldn’t bring myself to move much less speak. I knew my mother would have reprimanded such behaviour, would’ve scolded me for being unladylike. However, I was never a lady and I was not planning to become one now.

Looking at his grave, I was reminded of the old saying, “A man who desires revenge should dig two graves”. I had never taken this warning lightly. When I had decided to walk on the path of vengeance, I knew that I wouldn’t walk away from this unscathed. Revenge came at a price and I had been ready to pay it. Or at least I thought I did. Never did I stop to consider that the price of retribution would be so steep. Countless innocent lives along with that of my brother, laid to waste.

I looked down at my hands, the ones that held so much power. I had willingly given up my freedom for a shot at retaliation and now, this chaotic magic was all I was left with.

I didn’t want to leave, knowing I would be met with pitying looks but I knew I couldn’t stay here forever. The longer I stayed, the deeper will be my fall into the never ending abyss and I knew Pietro wouldn’t have wanted that. It was the only thing that was stopping me from joining him in that grave.

Turning around, I started to walk towards the others. However, I came to an abrupt halt when I realised I wasn’t alone.

I had expected Stark to leave with the others and yet here he was, standing still in a black suit, looking at me, his eyes filled with an emotion I couldn’t place. Everyone at the tower had either looked at me with fear or pity in their eyes but Stark never showed either of those sentiments.

I stood still, expecting him to close the distance between us but he never moved. Maybe he was worried that I would harm him but that was highly unlikely because I couldn’t see a smidge of fear in him. What I did see, however, was a man, completely worn-out by the fight yet still finding the will to stand without trembling. I couldn’t decide if this made me hate him or admire him.

He looked at me as if he was waiting for his penance, and yet seeing the steady resolve on his face, I knew that he wouldn’t step back from it. That he would take every accusation, every harsh word without flinching.

I don’t think he had ever learned to stand back.

This infuriated me even more, because I could’ve dealt with a man who was defensive, someone who was afraid of being labeled with the crime he committed. Someone who wanted an easy way to get rid of his guilt. However, looking at Stark, I felt certain that he wouldn’t defend himself, that he would receive his sentence without putting up a fight.

I could’ve fought a man who wanted to fight back. I could’ve wailed, screamed and cursed his name to the heavens but how could I fight a man who would absorb all the attacks without saying a word. How could I punish him for a crime that I made him commit.

I had chosen this path, set on taking revenge from this man and now here we both were, crumbling under the weight of the war we created, the lives we took.

If there was a God, he had a twisted sense of humour.

I walked towards him, seeing his eyes following my every step. He stood still, waiting for the onslaught he was certain he would face. Maybe that is why, he seemed surprised at the words that left my lips.

“They will come for me”, I whispered. I had known this from the beginning. When me and Pietro had given ourselves up for Hydra’s experiments, we had become invisible to the rest of the world. However, the moment I had stepped out of my cage and showed my true powers, I knew the target had been painted on my back. I was a monster created by Hydra and I was smart enough to understand that the remaining heads would do anything to get their monster back in the cage.

The fact that I would be captured again terrified me, not because I thought they would kill me but because I knew they won’t. I had already caused many innocents their lives, I couldn’t let Hydra use me as a weapon to cause more destruction.

Stark’s startled expression transformed into an understanding one, and I knew we were on the same page. It both bothered and intrigued me how quickly he discerned my statement, but maybe we were more alike than I imagined.

“Let them”, he replied.

No false promises.

No fabricated comfort.

Just two words. However, behind those two words I could sense the will of an unmovable man, an unstoppable force that would destroy any enemy that it faced.

His fiery yet calm resolve stirred life into me. I had always found it easy to numb myself to the world, to lock everyone out and yet in the short time I had known him, I had realised I could never keep Stark out. Seeing the determination set in his eyes, made me come out of the void that I was falling in just a few seconds ago.

When my parents had died, hating Tony Stark had kept me alive. It had given me a purpose, a goal to focus now. And now, that I had lost everything, it was still Stark who was keeping me on my feet.

Yeah, God definitely had a twisted sense of humour.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint's farewell

I was quivering like a broken bird in a half fallen building, when Clint Barton had looked at me and called me an Avenger. I hadn’t believed him then, yet somehow his words had given me enough courage to go outside and fight the devil that I had helped create. While I was fighting with others to keep the city afloat, a small voice inside my head had whispered that maybe I wasn’t doomed. Maybe I could be more than a monster that I had been moulded into.

That day, in middle of battling an artificial creation that wanted to annihilate the world, Clint Barton had looked at me and seen a rescuer instead of a predator.

Today, when he came to say his farewell, he still looked at me and saw an Avenger. He still managed to stir some hope in me.

***************

The smell of the strong coffee hit me first before I heard his footsteps. However, I’m sure that the noise was deliberately made because Clint could be as stealthy as his female counterpart.

“Didn’t know how you took your coffee, kid. Don’t laser beam me if you don’t like it", he said in a mocking tone. He sat down on the bed next to me, giving me the steaming cup.

I didn’t turn my sight away from the view of the city, visible outside the window. As a little girl, I had dreamt of traveling the world, to meet new people, to live outside the bounds of the small city my parents had called home. The dreams had faded away as soon as they had come, when my world had crumpled to nothing but dust. Now, after all these years, looking at the bustling city, I keep wondering what my life would have been like if I had chosen a different path. If I had chosen to mourn my parents and move on instead of choosing to hold and nurture that anger in my heart.

I know, that wondering about the ‘what-ifs’ wasn’t going to fix anything. Time had already run out, mistakes were already made and all there was left to do was suffer the consequences.

I took a sip from the steaming cup and savoured the sweet taste. “Don’t worry, no laser beams for you today”, I tried to say in the same sarcastic tone, yet the words came out in broken whispers.

Clint sat next to me, sipping from his cup quietly. In the short time of knowing him, I had learned that Clint was someone who could talk your ears off and at the same time provide you with comfortable silence when you needed it. He was the only one in the tower who didn’t make me feel like my every move was being scrutinised. I’m not naive enough to think that he trusts me but I can’t seem to find any hint of wariness in him, when he is around me.

“I heard you were leaving”, I said quietly. Another thing that I had learned about Clint Barton was that he had a family. A loving wife and two kids with another one on the way. I didn’t understand how someone who had a family could find the courage to march everyday to battle, knowing that any one could be their last. When I had surrendered my soul to Hydra, I had no one left but my brother who decided to step into hell right with me. I wonder now, if he would have stayed back, if he would’ve said no, would I have left him behind?

I looked to my left, seeing Clint eyeing his cup with resignation. I knew he wasn’t sad about leaving. I haven’t known him for long but it was clear that he was thinking about leaving or as he would say "retiring", for quiet some time. I was happy for him, he was getting to retire in peace, which I believe, not many in his field of work got to do. And yet, the thought of his absence filled me with panic. Clint, in many ways had been my anchor since Sokovia. I couldn’t help but feel like I was losing someone _again,_ even though I kept reminding myself that he wasn’t my family or friend. He didn’t owe me anything and I had no right to feel abandoned.

“I promised the Missus that this would be my last rodeo. Soon, the kids in the house are going to outnumber us by 3-2”, he said, giving me a small smirk. “Plus, I think I’m getting too old for this”, he added ruefully.

"A 12-year old mind stuck in a 40-year old body. A real tragedy.”, I said with a deadpan expression on my face.

The small smirk turned into a full beaming smile, “Hey now! Show the senior citizen some respect. Also, my mental capacities equal that of a 16-year old, thank you very much.”

That brought a genuine smile to my face. “I thought Captain Rogers was the senior citizen. Isn’t he in his nineties now?”, I asked.

“Yeah, well, not all of us are blessed with the super soldier serum now, are we kid”, he scoffed playfully. “Also, even if he could retire, I don’t think he would”, he said, his voice dropping a few octaves. “Most of us are trained to be soldiers, Rogers was probably born as one”, he said.

I hadn’t known Steve Rogers for long, only heard about the legends of Captain America. Captain America represented a nation, but Steve Rogers was something else entirely. In Sokovia, when everything was turning to dust and all one could hear were screams, it was his voice coming through the comms that had grounded the team, that helped them to find a way forward. When I looked at Steve Rogers, I didn’t see a soldier but a warrior.

“You know, now that I’m retiring, Cap could use a new recruit.”, he said while looking at me intently.

“He has Vision.” I responded quietly. At the time of his creation, everyone had been wary of Vision as they didn’t know if he would turn out like Ultron. However, now they were more comfortable in his presence. That is, as comfortable as they could be in the presence of an android that could phase through walls. “Colonel Rhodes and Cap’s friend is joining too”, I added. The news wasn’t official but their additions had already been made.

“It’s not about numbers, Wanda” he said. “The largest army can lose a war, if they are not prepared. It’s about what each one of us brings to the table.” He put down his cup on the desk in front of us and looked at me again. “You have certain abilities that not many people on this planet have. Now you can keep those to yourself or you can put them to use.”

“It’s funny, how you think those are the only two things that can happen” I snapped back. It’s not the first time he had asked me to join the team. “You know what I did, you know what I’m capable of. You really think people won’t get hurt, if I went out there fighting with the team?” My voice had increased a few octaves and I had to take a deep breath to reign my anger in.

Clint didn’t budge one inch. He just keep looking at me for quiet some time and then finally responded, “You think you are a weapon? Well, kid let me tell you a little secret. Every person here is a weapon too. The iron man suit has missiles that could demolish any area within minutes. Cap is a super soldier that could take an army alone. Natasha Romanoff made a name for herself as the deadliest Russian spy before she worked for SHIELD. Thor is a God, who if he wasn’t on our side, could have done inexhaustible damage to the human population. And me….” He trailed off not knowing how to complete that train of thought. A quiet sigh left his lips, “I didn’t exactly have a great heroic start either, kid.” He was looking outside the window, but I could tell he wasn’t really seeing the world outside. His mind was far off to a place and time that I doubt he told many people about.

“Wanda, all of us have been moulded into weapons, one way or another.” He looked at me and then added quietly, “It's what we choose to do, that truly defines us.”

I diverted my eyes to the coffee cup in my hands. I couldn’t bear to look at him anymore. Clint believed that there was a way I could be more than what I was made to be and God knew, I wanted to believe that so badly. But, what if I was too far gone? After the things that I did....Could anyone really come back from that?

“In Sokovia, you chose to fight Ultron. You _chose_ to go out there and fight to protect your people’s lives, your country. That’s who you are Wanda”, he said with no hint of uncertainty in his voice. “And that’s who Pietro was.”

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes. Clint’s words reminded me of how Pietro had wasted no time in helping the avengers when he understood Ultron’s intentions. How he didn’t think twice before shielding Clint from the bullets. Yes, Pietro was a hero. Of this, I had no doubt. I survived in Hydra’s lab for as long as I did because he was there with me, giving me the strength to fight the pain. 

I knew that if he was alive, he would’ve readily joined the team because he was incapable of shying away from a fight. However, I was never as good as him and I wonder if it would’ve been better for everyone if I had taken his place.

Clint was still looking at me, waiting for a response but I didn’t know if I was capable of producing coherent sentences anymore. He believed that my actions in Sokovia spoke for themselves, but what about my actions before that?

“What about the things I chose to do before that? Do those not count?” I asked.

Clint’s voice didn’t waver in the slightest when he answered, “Nothing or no-one can undo what you did Wanda. But you can either choose to live with the guilt for the rest of your life,” he paused before releasing a long held breath, “or you can do something to wipe the red from your ledger.”

I looked at him then and tried to find some reservation in his eyes but found nothing except for absolute conviction. I also knew then, that I couldn’t say no. It wasn’t just the idea of using my powers that had made me wary but also working with the people that I had hurt so intimately. I didn’t think anyone of them would want me around after what I did to them. However, if there was a way that I could wipe the blood of my hands, a way I could not feel like a monster, then I was selfish enough to take it, everything else be damned.

Clint was looking at me with a triumph smile as if he knew he had managed to change my mind. He could be so infuriating sometimes.

“I’ve also heard that they are shifting the avengers business to the new compound. It’s upstate, very spacious, you’ll like it.”, he said with a small smirk.

“We will have one less annoying archer, so of course it will be spacious.” I said with a smile.

“Maybe I should tell Cap to train some manners into you too while he is at it”, he remarked playfully, before standing up and taking the empty cups from the table.

“Stronger men have tried and failed.” I remarked coolly. 

Clint scoffed and made his way to the door. Before he could leave, I said, “Clint, give my best wishes to your family.”

Clint looked back at me with a fond expression and an emotion in his eyes that I couldn’t place. “Sure kid, take care.” With that said, he left.


End file.
